“Maybe you should go back to work Mom,” Anika suggested. Jemini complied, I’m sure she was sorry, she always was afterward. With our mother out of the room, Anika pulled me into her arms. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have left.”
“It’s okay.” I shook my head.
“You know Jemini?—”
“Jemini is never gonna change.” My lower lip trembled.
Anika rubbed my back. My sister, for all my complaints, was my protector. She’d been my bodyguard our entire lives. Taking the brunt of the beatings and emotional abuse. She’d locked us in our bedroom when strange men spent the night. And she told me I was way more than just a pretty face. “You’re right, it’s such a beautiful day. Too beautiful for tears.”
“I slept with Aldi.” My pout turned into a weak smile.
She stepped back and softly clapped her hands in silent celebration. “It’s about damn time.”
I was sortingthrough my monthly bills, signing off on payments and planning for next month while Nori ran through some pending items.
“The rent for Duane’s place has cleared and the mortgage on your mother’s house has also gone through. The hotel is paid up until the end of the month. Do you think you’ll be extending your stay?”
“Don’t take that tone with me.”
“What tone?”
“You think I’m taking too long to find a place.” It had only been a couple of months, but Nori believed I was moving at a snail’s pace to settle on home I liked. What she didn’t know is I’d been dragging my feet because I needed a reason to keep seeing Danessa. But now that things between me and her had shifted, I imagined house hunting would kick into high gear.
“Yes. Danessa’s shown you over three dozen listings and you’ve passed on all of them.”
“When I find the right place trust me, you’ll be the first to know.”
Nori rolled her eyes. “I hate walking through the casino. I leave smelling like smoke.”
“I’m sorry, send me the bill for your dry cleaning. Speaking of Danessa, can you locate the best bakery in town and send her some cupcakes with a note that reads, ‘You bake me crazy’?”
Nori’s pen stalled. “Are you serious?”
“Yeah, what you don’t like it?”
“It’s corny as fuck. Does Danessa go for corny? Because if not, I’d reconsider.”
“I think it’s kind of cute.”
“Oh, you are gone.” She tossed her pen into her notebook.
“What do you mean?”
“That woman has got your nose wide open. Out here sending sweet treats with stupid food puns.”
“Can you think of something better?”
“Yeah, how about Danessa I had a really good time on our date the other night and I can’t wait to see you again.”
My face crumpled in disgust. “Nah, I like mine better.” I scanned an itemized receipt. “Could you also Cash App her money to get her hair done?”
“How much?”
“I don’t know, a thousand, two.”
“For her hair?” Nori’s eyebrows climbed her forehead. She was an amazing assistant who kept me on track, but she was judging me every step of the way.
“Yeah, whatever it costs her to get a silk press. Because her edges were reverting to their natural state when she left this morning. If you know what I mean.” I laughed fiendishly.
